Loose-leaf binder.



J. SCHADE, JR.

LOOSE'LEAF BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4. 1915.

1,170,1 15. Patnted Feb. 1, 191

T rs rec.

J'OI-IN SCI-IADE, JR., OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL BLANK BOOK COMPANY, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS, A COPAR'INERSHIP.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

Application filed March 4, 1915. Serial No. 11,948. 1

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JoHN SGHADE, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Brooklyn, county of Kings, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Binders; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to loose leaf binders, but more particularly has reference to that class of such devices which contemplates a pair of prong carrying members pivotally connected at their inner meeting edges and means for causing the opening and closing of the prongs to be effected with a spring action. Heretofore these members have commonly been located within a plate having resilient flanged edges, the outer edges of such members being abutted against these flanged portions, and when the prongs were opened or closed the meeting edges of said members would be carried above or below a given plane with a spring action due to the recovery of said flanged portions. My invention does away entirely with this plate, and, in fact, it is not necessary to employ any plate or casing whatever in connection with my improvement, since in the latter the spring element is a feature that is inherent in the prong carrying members themselves.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention Figure 1 is a plan view of my improvement-Fig. 2 is a section at the line 22 of Fig. 1Fig. 3 a view similar to Fig. 2 except that the prong carrying members are shown in alinement, and Fig. 4 is a plan view similar to Fig. 1 but with the clasps omitted.

Similar numerals of reference denote like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

1 are the prong carrying members, 2 the prongs carried thereby, and 3, 4, are little lips projecting from the meeting edges of said members and overlapping opposing members, just as is shown and described in my pending application Serial No. 853,434, filed July 27, 1914. These lips are merely one way ofpivoting or hinging the prong carrying members together, but my present invention is not limited to any special means for effecting this pivoting or hinging.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the members 1 are made of steel, thin and flexible, so as to possess resiliency, and at the same time strong and stiff enough to perform their functions so far as carrying and operating the prongs are concerned. In the ends of these members 1 are cut slots 5, which are preferably inclined toward the inner edges of the members, and these slots provide comparatively narrow tongue portions 6 at the extreme outer edges of the members 1, and within these tongue portions are cut openings 7 through which extend loosely, the ends 8 of rigid clasp-like members 9 which latter serve to hold the members 1 together in their pivoted relation.

lVhen the prongs are opened and the members 1 are rocked toward theposition shown at Fig. 3, the tongue-like portions 6 will contract resiliently, so that the opening and closing movements of the prongs will be effected with a spring action. Moreover, there will always be more or less tension between the members 9 and the tongues 6 so that the prongs will readily be maintained in their open or closed position. These clasp-like members 9 being perfectly rigid, the tongue-like portions 6 provide for the resiliency requisite in devices of this description.

Of course, resilient portions similar to the parts 6 may be provided at any suitable location or locations throughout the length of the members 1 and rigid clasp-like members connected therewith just as shown in the drawings and above described, and therefore I do not wish to be limited to any particular location of these resilient members 6 although I prefer to provide for them at the ends of the members 1.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In a device of the character described, a pair of prong carrying members pivoted together at their inner edges and having integral therewith spring portions, and rigid clasps loosely secured within perforations in said portions and extending across said members.

2. In a device of the character described, a pair of prong carrying members formed to provide opposite spring portions at a plurality of locations, the action of which portions is in the direction of the width of said members, and rigid clasps whose ends are secured loosely through perforations in op- In testimony whereof I afiix my signature posing spring portions ghereby said inemin presence of tWo Witnesses. u bers are he d in pivote relation at their inner edges While the rigid clasps passively JOHN SCHADE cooperate With said spring portions to effect Witnesses: the opening and closing of said prongs with J. M. ToWNE,

a spring action. HENRY A. ROBERT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

